You can pickle any kind of egg. See “The Many Stages of a
Cooked Egg” in our June/July issue to find suggested cooking times for
different types of eggs. This recipe makes 1 quart filled with about 8 duck eggs, but it can easily be halved to fill a pint jar instead. Ken Baker, chef-owner of Pachamamas, a farm-friendly restaurant in Lawrence, Kan., thinks pastured duck eggs are “mind-blowingly rich and flavorful.” See for yourself!
Ingredients:
8 duck eggs (or
substitute about 12 regular chicken eggs or 20 quail eggs), at room temperature
For the pink pickling liquid:
2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup brown sugar or
honey
2 tsp pickling salt
1 tsp whole allspice
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 small beets, topped,
tailed, scrubbed, and cut into quarters
Instructions:
To hard-boil duck eggs:
Put whole, room-temperature duck eggs in a pan and cover
with cold water. Bring it to a low boil over medium heat. When the water
reaches a low boil, begin timing. Remove the eggs after 10 minutes, and chill immediately
under running cold water, then peel the eggs. Fill the quart jar with the eggs
and refrigerate until the pickling liquid is ready.
To make the pickles:
All all pickling liquid ingredients to a medium saucepan,
and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for
30 minutes, or until the beets can be pierced easily with a fork. Strain out the beets. (Enjoy them on a salad later.) Chill the liquid in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, then
pour it over the eggs and screw on the lid. Refrigerate the eggs to eat for up
to a month. I prefer the flavor after at least a few days.
Check out our June/July issue for more egg recipes, including the Golden Pickled Quail Eggs pictured above.
Photo by Tim Nauman Photography